The freeman. (Parkersburg, W. Va.) 1886-18??, 1887-07-06
Letter from Mrs. Harper.
Supt. Colored Work, National
W. G. T. q.
ELoo uENr WORDS FROM A BRAVE
AND TRUE HEARTED WOMAN.
FRANKFORT, Ind,
June 81, '87.

.t.f$ FRANKFORT, Ind,
June 81, '87.
MY DEAR SISTER:
Permit me to thank you for your
brave words I saw in late New
York Pioneer, az taken from the
FREEMAN, in reference to inviting
colored women into the W. G. T.
U. l want colored men to- rally
around the Prohibition flag on
election day; but | hope, at the
same time, that Prohibitionists
and Temperance women will be
broad enough to welcome them
into their ranks as workers, and
that we shall have in this country
a Home Protection Party which
will have among the planks
in its platform, "Protection to
human Lite" and can honest
count at the Ballot Box"
The Colored people of this coun-
try hold in their hands about q
million votes. Shall we not try to
capture these votes for the highest
and best welfare of the country :?
Will you not continue to speak
out on this question of working
with the colored women,as you did
in the Pioneer a few weeks since ?
If you and others like you do not
speak, who will? x x
Miss Willard wants the Prohibi-
ton Party's name changed to
Home Protection Party" Wheth.
er the party's name is changed or
not, hope the idea and principle Of
home protection will be carried out
in its line of action. Under the
old parties our people have been
murdered in the South.
Our loved ones have been scat
tered at the graves month, and
who cared?
At the National Convention I
spoke to a Southern sister of the
massacre of colored men in the
Court House at Carrolton, Missis
sippi. 49," said she, "you know
nothing about it. Those men were
drunken and armed"
But suppose they we're drunken,
they became so in licensed saloons
where the liquor was sold them &C
cording to law. But months pas
sed by and the scene changes.
Now, young Gambrell, the brave
advocate of Temperance is stricken
down by the hands of assassins.
Why was he slainY And by
whom? For the same reason and
by the same spirit of lawlessness
that made the terrible tragedy of
Carrolton possible. If we poison
the atmosphere we must inhale
the polluted air and suffer the dire
full consequences. 1t may seem a
little thing in this great country
that a dozen negroes are murdered,
and women may excuse and men
ignore the crime; but they who
excuse crime and wink at lawless
bloodshed only help SOW in their
midst the dreadful teeth of VEN
geance which spring up to smite
the sewers.
What the South needs to-day, is
not weak women and cowardly
men condone her crimes when per.
petrated against the weak, and 90
into Mysteries of agony when the
weapons the lawless have used and
failed to blunt are turned against
themselves.
What our Southern sisters need
is truth more than fattery.
The negro has a vote in his
hands; let him use it for the right
and ia his own defense. Let our
people, for the Love of Christ and
His cause, learn to frowA down all
violence, and lawlessness, and mis-
rule, whether these dash themsel-
YES against a cause dear to their
hearts, or against their own weak
ness which should be their best de-
Tense and an ensign of protection.
But excuse me for writing at
such length.
Can you arrange for me to come
into your State after July 18th 2
Terms IS night or $25 week
and expenses, six days to consti-
tute q weeks work. lectures in
afternoon to women included.